Streamlining Diagram Creation With Draw.io and GIT

And how to manage controlled artefacts

Are you tired of using outdated diagramming tools? Is your organisation forcing you to use a paid-for product, and they’re only willing to purchase a handful of licenses?

It’s not that these tools are just old and uncool, it’s that they’re not fit for purpose. As organisations continue to use multiple delivery partners, it’s imperative that the tooling and source files are accessible to all.

Moreover, enforcing tooling that isn’t integrated into the dev workflow introduces friction and reduces traceability.

The solution: adopt open-source, cross-platform tooling and store the artefacts in source control — ideally, alongside the code.

Benefits

• Reduced cost; no licenses required
• Improved dev workflow
• Diagrams can be updated by everyone — internal and external
• Diagram standards can be enforced via Pull Requests
• View the architecture for a specific release — assuming the diagrams sit alongside the code

Workflow for controlled artefacts

Firstly, I’ll explain what I mean by “controlled” artefacts.

If the artefact describes the current solution state and is used by consumers outside the team, it will likely need a quality review process.